Yoga for Kids (Kids Yoga or Yoga for Children) is a rather new application of Yoga, which arose in the 1970s. It’s Yoga specifically designed for children, and it consists of Yoga Asanas that increase strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. Kids Yoga may also include meditation and Pranayama breathing exercises.
Kids Yoga classes are typically intended to be fun in order to stimulate participation. In fact, being able to hold the class’ attention is an important, indispensable skill if one wants to be a Kids Yoga teacher. As such, other activities like fun-games, songs, and stories may be included in a Yoga class.
The health benefits of Kids Yoga are more or less similar to those in Adult Yoga: overall physical well-being, increased physical strength, increased focus, calmness, stress-resilience, self-confidence, memory and concentration, illness prevention, and better quality of sleep, among others.
In addition, there’s a growing body of scientific research that shows that Yoga can be effective for children that have a variety of special needs, such as for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For instance, Yoga exercises can help combat certain symptoms of ADHD, like inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, apart from stimulating school performance.